Written by Don Byrd
Following continued violent attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the debate over religious freedom in the new constitution, many activist Egyptians have begun creative campaign of protest. In the space their national ID cards provide to indicate religion, they are inserting anything but.
The NYTimes’ Lede blog has details, links and videos.
[T]he “None of Your Business” campaign, driven by a Facebook group and a YouTube video, urges Egyptian citizens to cover up the section of their national identity cards that states their religion. The group’s Facebook page describes the initiative as “a campaign against interference in citizens’ private lives by the state, and by other citizens. We are for the removal of religion from official documents — the most important of which is the personal ID card — as a small but important step towards ending discrimination on the basis of religion.”
Religious liberty is the freedom to profess one’s faith without fear or coercion. That includes the right to remain private in one’s faith, or to profess no religion at all. Hopefully one day in Egypt and all around the world, discussing faith will spark community and fellowship, not fear and violence. Protecting this freedom is a fundamental responsibility of any truly democratic government, essential for its rule of law.
